Word Direct Answers

What does "kill" mean?

Kill: To deprive of life, animal or vegetable, in any manner or by any means; to render inanimate; to put to death; to slay. Ah, kill me with thy weapon, not with words ! Shak.

Additional senses

  1. 2.To destroy; to ruin; as, to kill one's chances; to kill the sale of a book. "To kill thine honor." Shak. Her lively color kill'd with deadly cares. Shak.
  2. 3.To cause to cease; to quell; to calm; to still; as, in seamen's language, a shower of rain kills the wind. Be comforted, good madam; the great rage, You see, is killed in him. Shak.
  3. 4.To destroy the effect of; to counteract; to neutralize; as, alkali kills acid. To kill time, to busy one's self with something which occupies the attention, or makes the time pass without tediousness. -- To Kill, Murder, Assassinate. To kill does not necessarily mean any more than to deprive of life. A man may kill another by accident or in self-defense, without the imputation of guilt. To murder is to kill with malicious forethought and intention. To assassinate is tomurder suddenly and by stealth. The sheriff may kill without murdering; the duelist murders, but does not assassinate his antagonist; the assassin kills and murders.

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